The 2021 DISCUS Conference

Tom Conaghan is co-head of the firm’s Media, Entertainment & Sports practice, co-head of the firm’s Capital Markets and Public Companies Practice Group, and partner-in-charge of the Corporate Group in the Washington, DC office.

As leader of the firm’s award-winning Sports practice, Tom represents teams, owners, and investors across all major U.S. professional sports leagues, as well as US, and international and emerging leagues, on a broad range of matters, including ownership transfers, capital raising transactions, and M&A transactions. Tom frequently represents clients on high-profile deals across the industry, helping drive the continued growth of McDermott’s Sports practice, which was named “Practice Group of the Year” by Law360 in 2025 and ranked among the leading Sports Law practices in the US by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 in 2026.

As the co-head of the Capital Markets practice, Tom represents public and private companies, underwriters and other sources of capital, corporate boards and board committees, and corporate executives. He advises US- and foreign-based public companies on issues relating to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, strategic investments, spin-offs, public and private offerings of securities (including initial public offerings (IPOs)), disclosure, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting, corporate governance, executive compensation, and the stock exchange-listed company rules.

Tom is also rated in Chambers USA and The Legal 500 for his M&A work, and is cited for being a “strong M&A lawyer who anticipates clients’ needs, exhibits strong management over deals, and translates his breadth of knowledge in a way that clients can easily understand and use.”

Advises alcohol beverage clients on regulatory, commercial, and compliance matters

Counsels on M&A for companies buying, selling, and investing across the beverage industry

Handles audits, investigations, arbitration, and litigation tied to alcohol beverage regulatory issues

Guides legal strategy for delivery services, new beverage collaborations, and e-commerce in the alcohol sector